Sunshine

To it’s credit, Sunshine is a genuine science fiction film that’s not based on a video game, a rare and wondrous event in the new millennium. Sadly, its science is a bit thin and it’s not very good fiction. A spaceship full of astronauts with serious issues is en route to nuke the dying sun, in the hopes of restarting it. Yes, I know, the sun’s still got another four or five billion years left on its clock… you need to ignore that bit.

Still, you’d think that NASA could have found eight people with fewer brain problems to save the world.

The relatively thin story of Sunshine is supported by some truly effective CGI, which will really make you feel like you’re flying into the sun. It should be noted, however, that flying into the sun isn’t a wholly enjoyable experience, and Sunshine’s a bit hard on one’s retinas after a while. The plot twists that populate the descent are predictable, and the personality disorders manifested by the crew of the good ship Icarus pop up like dandelions at regular intervals.

The central theme of Sunshine appears to be “life’s a bitch and then you die” – the last portion of the film is very colorful, and really, really depressing. Wait for this flick to turn up on HBO or in the discount bin at Walmart if you’re sure you want to see it.